nothing for a Bravada?
 

okay so this is odd... I just called the only true off-roading shop in Lansing Michigan. I quickly referred them to the Rough Country supposedly small lift kit that Christine is talking about. the shop said neither RC nor anybody else list a lift kit at all for the Bravada itself. and therefore nobody makes one that is appropriate for the Bravada...? So they refuse to put on a Blazer or Jimmy one because of warranty issues...? they literally told me that because their computer won't show them one they won't put anything on my truck. double ewe tee effffffff!?!?!?

I think that bravadas are setup with a premium ride option, self leveling shocks? Maybe something, but I can see them not doing it for "legal purposes". But I would buy it and do it myself, if you have the room and most basic hand tools(power really helps tho).

why the lift may I ask? Bigger tires?

My Blazer has the Premium Ride suspension which means that it does have self leveling rear shocks and softer leaf springs. My solution was to keep the original shocks and springs and install a spacer for the shocks.

so I want to level it out get rid of the Sag and put 30 by 9 and 1/2 on. but the left rear shackle is broke so I was going to do repair and upgrade at the same time as opposed to buying Factory parts to take off in a matter of weeks. it needs shocks all around. it already has right rear shackle replaced but I thought I would need a pair of different shackles.

Take a look at my build thread and specifically my lift write-up.

For your rear suspension, I see two options (in addition to increasing the lift at the front):

1. Keep the rear springs, get new self-leveling shocks, install extensions the upper shock attachment, and install larger shackles.
2. Get new springs from a wrecked Blazer that has a standard rear suspension and springs, then get regular shocks that are for a lifted rear end and install new larger shackles.

I went with option 1 because my old shocks were fine and I didn't want to also look for replacement springs.

Hope this helps.

Bravada Baseline...
 

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...1d1d4d1538.jpg
current stance trying to stay as level with the camera as possible. driveway is slightly downhill rear but so is the sidewalk I'm squatting on.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...a4300a5c8f.jpg
right rear previously replaced.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...d6d327914c.jpg
left rear needs replaced LOL so does what's left of the EVAP bracket.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...868c808c63.jpg
current rubber is relatively thin and 235 75 15
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...a1f0d9fc4c.jpg
hoping to Pony up before winter LOL.

Christine I agree with you that option one sounds best. my concern is why they would say the Bravada doesn't list it but the Blazer would. even if the shop won't put them on will I be able to? is there any different geometry with the Bravada front axle? DonL I have concrete driveway space and air tools and 1 HF plug-in Electric impact, jack stands and such.

You have more then enough to do the job.

I would get the control arms, torsion keys, leaf spring shackles. I would figure out a different aftermarket shock for the front then rough country tho, they dont last as long as desired.

get a new set of you self leveling shocks as christine said with shock absorber spacers.

and make sure you get the drop bracket and and adapter plate for the new angle of the front diff.

That will help with keeping parts in geometry.

thank you guys! DonL, what is the drop bracket and adapter plate? Christine how have your superlift front shocks held up? been about 3 years?

It's just an aluminum wedge, and a plate that adjusts the angle of the diff.

here's a pi of them from my build thread. I've seen them in sale on Ebay.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...4a8034050c.jpg

The front shocks have seemed to work fine so far. No excessive wobbling or leaking. I'm not a major off-roader although I do my share of off-pavement driving when I go to the woods for hunting and fishing. :icon_hunter:

If you don't use the full RC lift kit with the bracket for dropping the front axle differential, I would recommend installing new CV boots on the inside CV joints of the front CV axles while they are out. If they have never leaked, then they are in all likelihood just fine but could do with some fresh grease. The reason behind this suggestion is that if you don't use the brackets to drop the axle, then the CV axles will be at a larger angle and on mine this caused the inside boots to slip off. The only special tool you need is a set of snap-ring pliers. The new boots have the benefit of 20 years of engineering behind them in the form of them being made out of of more flexible neoprene. Next time I have the CV axles out I might install new boots on the insides too just so I have an excuse to repack the joints. The boot kits and grease are all available at NAPA for a decent price.

Something on my To-Do list but I didn't get to because of this COVID Summer is to install replacement torsion bar keys. I think I was able to just get the lift I wanted but I had to go to the limit of the stock keys and I'd prefer to have the ability to tweak things a bit more. I also was thinking of installing a bit longer rear shackles but that was only after I did some measurements to double check that I needed them.

Hope this helps.

Christine I was wondering if you had ever replaced the torsion keys... good to know. the the complete kit now includes the front diff bracket and the shock extenders and taller shackles according to the RC website. I wouldn't mind replacing almost everything in the kit except that the shocks won't do me much good. at $530 for the kit is it still cheaper to buy everything a la carte? will RC even sell it that way? does putting the stuff on the Bravada void the warranty? probably all RC questions I have them on speed dial for Tuesday morning LOL. would I be able to sell just the shocks to anyone? on a side note have you had any problems with your rtz shock extenders? saw some negative reviews on F150 Forum. also have you had to replace those rear self levelers yet? I can't seem to find them.

So the only RC parts I purchased from them were the upper control arms and later the brackets to relocate the attachment point for the rear sway bar. When I got them in 2016, they sold just the upper control arms to me for $250. I did not get the torsion bar keys but I wish I had. At the time I thought the rear shackles would be too long since I was only going for at most a 2" lift, not the 2.5" that the RC kit is designed to give. At the moment I likely have at least 1.5" lift but not the full 2". I don't mind as I was able to install the 30x9.5 tires with no fitment issues at all and I was OK with not overly stressing the rest of the front end components by going to a taller lift with the subsequent more extreme angles for all the parts. The tire shop test fit 31x10.5 tires after I did my lift and we learned that the 31s would hit the frame rails when the steering wheel was turned fully over. I took off the rear sway bar relocation brackets because they prevented me from installing my spare tire under the rear bumper.

As for the shock extenders, they seem to be working fine for me. I'll take a look at them now and then and I haven't see any issues with them or the attachment point. If I knew how to weld, I'd likely have either made my own or added a small plate to where they meet the underside of the attachment point so that there would be no way that they could flex/pivot forward and aft.

Regarding the rear shocks, they seem to still be working ok. I've attached a webpage I printed out when I was trying to learn about this. This particular page is now dead but the same website has this link: https://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/monroe_nivomat.cfm They also have conversion kits but not for our Blazers. But then perhaps they are similar? https://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/...cfm?id=3010078

And then when I looked for shocks at the Monroe website for my 1999 Blazer, I was able to find self-leveling rear shocks with part number 58523 "Monroe Load Adjusting Shocks". 58523 :: e-Catalog :: MONROE® SHOCKS & STRUTS . Considering the cost of replacement of these self-leveling shocks, if mine ever go out, I might consider replacing the rear springs with more normal springs. But that would be a hassle too. I do like the self-leveling action for when I'm towing.

And finally, regarding the warranty: Are you worried about the warranty for the Bravada? I'm sure that is long past expired. :)

Good Luck and keep us posted on your decisions on how to do your lift.
-----------------
P.S. I just now had this thought: Perhaps the Monroe people could help you find shocks that are the same as the 58523 ones but just a bit longer? Also I just did a quick search and they are not crazy expensive.

well after two phone calls and a bunch of other studying in the middle, it appears rough country stands behind their lack of application for the Bravada. I finally got someone to tell me that their research and development team studied all wheel drive transmission and that there was a Driveline vibration that they could never resolve. But they never studied it far enough to figure out where it was actually coming from. They just stopped applying it to Any all wheel drive application, so I kind of have an unbuildlable motorized paperweight in my driveway.

Well at least you (and now the rest of us) have some clue as to what is going on.

Does anyone here who understands the transfer cases in the Bravadas know who this would be the case? I had assumed that the Bravada transfer case was equivalent to my 4-button transfer-case if it was always in Auto-4wd.

I may be out in left field, but I seem to recall the front driveshafts being different in the AWD 98+ trucks which could be what makes them not play well with the dropped front axle. I'm not sure if a NV236 front driveshaft would work on an NV136 tcase to see if that would cure the issue if that is even the reason or if I am even remembering things correctly.

From everything I can recall having read about the differences between the two transfer cases, they were pretty much the same transfer case with the major exception being that the NV136 does not have the range planetary setup in it for the LO/HI functionality.

Could go all in and clock the t-case as well, but you'd want to see how far you would need to go for bolt clearances and drive shaft clearance at the back, and, and, and...

you are probably more on point than you think with the driveshaft query. the tech on the phone mentioned that similar to all wheel drive jeeps, there was zero tolerance for any angle at all in the U joints for the T case and driveshaft. so apparently even with their now included differential brackets it's not enough and the shaft doesn't stay straight. either way I'm not aiming for a Driveline vibration that I don't know what they will further cause LOL. with any luck the New Shackle and four new shocks, and a couple pair of new shoes LOL will make it stand slightly taller any whooo. I am looking into the monroes Christine that you linked to, and still looking into 30 by 9 and 1/2 15s.

wow free lift!
 

so I may not have a paperweight after all, call me crazy for not realizing that a simple repair would actually affect about a 1 inch lift.https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...3eb748bb51.jpg
before repair stance.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...0d15191e14.jpg
amazing what an Intact shackle will do LOL
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...f72181b1f6.jpg
Monroe load levelers.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...f34259fcf3.jpg
what the what?!? now for the front end LOL

Looking good.

I was following this thread as an interested observer. If I read the posts correctly, the issue is with the front drive-shaft due its construction. Am I right? If so, would it be possible to retrofit some Blazer parts such a Blazer front drive shaft to over come this?

according to Swartlkk, apparently something like that. but as he pointed out in the post before, it would be a lot of ifs and a lot of potential other tweaking. so if the 136 will accept a 236s driveshaft? and if not then you could tweak this and if not that then you could tweak that.... I'm not that ambitious nor that technically skilled. aka I'm not the guy to try to fit a Ford rear end under the thing or to do a Cummins swap haha LOL. I was hoping application from the Blazers for Rough Country would be way simpler than thatt and apparently it was not. For a 22 year old truck Im not real sure Driveline vibrations is the way I wanted to go. so I reverted back to stock applicable options and still got a bump out of it LOL. and I haven't even really rebuilt the front end yet but I think I will stick as stock as possible, even though it looks like new front shocks might still accept the slight T Bar crank just to level out. Again, bonuseybonus. the shop I used said idler arm has play which gives pitman arm play as well apparently, but otherwise everything else was tight. Are there bushings that can be replaced without the whole idler arm replacement?

almost perfect!
 

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...382e2256f7.jpg
baby got her new shoes
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...6a0829e647.jpg
I went with the Napa oespectrum stock shocks for the front. no more Bob and sway whatsoever.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...5bd8d0c6b6.jpg
I might still flirt with a t Bar tweek to level, but already me likey. so just to recap... Rough Country won't make a lift for the all-wheel drive, so I gave up on that and went with replacing the one bad shackle stock. Monroe load leveler rears. Napa oespectrum fronts. 30 by 9 and 1/2 15s on my Bravada rims. good enough for who it's for LOL; 😁

Looks good. What brand wranglers did you go with?

I found a full set of Trail Runner ATs on Chicago Craigslist. this was the jeep guy that had 10 million tires and four Jeeps in a closet lot. the deal also included one GSA for spare but that's the one I lost in Wisconsin due to poor securement of the second load. see my road trip adventure Post in what do you do with your Blazer...completely my fault for not being assertive enough.😒😞

update nothing really needed...?
 

so we're in the next phase of the truck tire saga AKA try to fit summer rims. Don L. was right and I found a place to custom build aluminum bore Centric rings at a recipe of 80.06 to 70.3, after having a machine shop (that's been hidden on my block forever) properly measure the inner bore of my Buick Einkei rims.

So today in the Sun and 65 I decided to play with the torsion bars.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...7b614827fb.jpg
after three turns, took away even more floatiness without getting bangy. now I know I'm in heaven and she stands level...er.
I was shocked to find that my T Bar key bolts turned like butter. Three 3 full turns each side, and I still have at least 1/4 Bolt left on each side. The below pic was just after I got the shocks done. That is actually the truck sitting slightly downhill on the street. But pay more attention to the fender Tire Gap on the front.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...8fe91bab10.jpg
after rear shackle and four shocks. still rakes front low a bit. Ride wise, I thought I was in heaven...
another week and a half I'll have my rings and throw the snowflakes on. In the meantime I'll let one of my shops do an alignment.

...welll, sheeeeeet....... the offset rims even with 30 by 9 and 1/2 are digging into the lower back of each wheel well...at SIX 6 total tbar turns (which I haven't even tried to drive on yet.) This is all in the driveway: Mount, Turn full stop to full stop, crank t, repeat. now I don't know what to do.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...e7519fc84f.jpg
driver side barely touches the bottom of the fender skirt flaring only.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...530fc49f6f.jpg
passenger side actually buries into the back of the wheel well itself...
Methinks I will have to revisit Christine's front end build.

,double check to see if they do the chamber toe in and out as well, some shops only do the tierods without saying anything...

I like those rims, they will go with the bravada so nicely I think. And Christine's front end would be a good idea... after getting the rc kit, I think I could've sourced it out for cheaper, or atleast better options for the same price lol...

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...63be8bfb02.jpgAnd yes, my shop will do camber and Caster if it's computer tells it to.
6 turns + wheel rub....and does she look skyward to you now? Grrrr, now what?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...820705c7d3.jpg
take two... p235 75 15 do NOT rub...YAY!
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...210172cf50.jpg
neighbor sold me his factory set with the 235s on them. a bit oxidized but I will see if someone can clean that up and at least reclear coat. the brand new 30 by 9 and 1/2 will go on these for winter. the bravadas and 30 by 9 and 1/2 will stay an extra set. $300 for tires and rims vs 2k 2.5" lift install quote LOL. and my shop wouldn't even tell me what lift they found or what was included in it...🤫

I wouldn't go with that kit install for sure... those rims aren't too bad, and once cleaned up, will look good with the black accent.

Are you keeping the chrome or going to get it painted?

on all rims I like the black and chrome mix. not so new Factory 15s a lot of the Chrome is oxidized similar to my bravada rims. the weird part is it's under the clear coat and there is a grooming or combing of grooves in the aluminum. so I don't know if they can be restored to look right. I even thought of doing the same to my bravada rims and having all the gray paint changed to Black.

Thats what I hate about Chrome. Tiniest hole in the coat, will let stuff in, and it looks like rust coming up lol... a lot of people get them cleaned, then powder coated.